Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-25
The Honest Man.

once knew an honest maa; this is NO.
fable. 1 knew him; he acds honest. He, was
poor, of course. Not that all poor men are
honest; l have known some wretchedly
poor men who were dishonest and very
mean. Neither would I have you UNDER
stand me to say that all rioh men are dis
honest. Some, you know, have inherited
their fortunes.
This honest man lived in,a small frame
larry on the first Monday Of every month
for years he settled with his landlord for
the rental due.
His name was on the tax duplicate, but
the figures that told of his personal prop
efty were small, and twice in each year he
borrowed at least balf tho money with
which he paid his taxes.
Inever knew him to give,a wine supper,
and the wealthiest banker in the city had
ten friends to his one.
Very few, indeed, Of the distinguished
visitors to his city were introduced to him,
and most of them left the place knowing
nothing of him-only as o. unit which,
added to many other units, made up the
sum total which the ensus-taker returned.
Now and then the poor itinerant minister
stopped with him, preferring, his frugal
board to the paying OF q bill attthe hotel.
He was hard of hearing, but1he occupied
q pew near the back part of the church,
for the ones inn front were needed for the
rich members of the congregation. The
band never serenaded him, yet he never re-
fused to help those poorer than himself.
| even though the beggar be q poor-a very
poor-musician.
By and by, when he was old and full of
years, he sickened. His ne1t-door neigh
Dor brought him dainty food to tempt his
appetite, andithe physician made but n
hasty call q day, SO he lasted several weeks.
But finally he died. The casket in which
his body was placed was q very plain one,
| and the attendants at his funeral we're very,
t very few. Many had intended to be pres
emit at hissfuneral, but somehow they were
so very busy when hs,time came that they
could non get away; yet one week later, to
the very day, when the gilded coffin that
held a.wealthy mans remains entered The
same cote, to the same battle-ground, it
was followed by carriages in which rode all
those very busy men.
A few years passed away. I visited that
battle-ground. I looked in among the
lofty. monuments for the ame Of this de-
parted honest man. but 1 found it not. I
asked the sexton if he could point me to
the. grave, but he had forgotten where it
was. could only fad it by looking up the
record, and had no time for that unless 1t
was q matter of importance.
But I found it by and by. Here, in this
piece of hallowed ground. dedicated to tho
dead of men but to the living God, I found
the grave of this departed honest man,
still in. the roar. while the wealthy oocu-
pied the front. No shaft er slab Of marble,
chiseled in his praise, told who it was thst
slept beneath the mound, upon which was
planted q dainty flower, cared for by poor
but honest hands and watered by the tears
of honest love.
All Others had forgotten him but she
who knew him best, and thought him great
and good because of honesty. This, all this,
in a community that talks Of honest men,
| CHICAGO Led6er.